Result- Seniors Trophy and Monthly Medal. Queens White Tees. Sat 31st May.

"The Queen's fair course, tho' winds may blaw and rains may dreep,

A Scotsman's heart finds joy and sport, where eagles sleep."

Rabbie Burns, Queen’s Course, May 2025 (maybe)

The day began with rain and a blustery wind, conditions that would test even the most seasoned golfer. Mr. Mike Collier and Mr. Tony Stewart, undeterred, charged off into the misty abyss, followed by Mr. Alistair Shand, Mr. Kevin Dickson, and your intrepid (and increasingly damp) correspondent, Tariq ‘Taz’ Ali. The allure of etching their names on the Hole In One board spurred Mr. Shand and Mr. Dickson to aggressive play on the second hole, but alas, their birdie putts remained stubbornly earthbound.

As the day reluctantly unfolded, waterproofs were shed with the haste of a guilty conscience, the sun made fleeting appearances, and the wind, apparently bored, took a break. After the round, my group sought refuge in the Dormy for a drink and some post-mortem analysis, only to find Mr. Collier and Stewart lost in quiet contemplation. Perhaps it was the crushing weight of my ELEVEN-shot lead on the Gross Leaderboard. The gloom lifted slightly as Mr. Collier began to recount the saga of Mr. Stewart’s… adventurous bunker play.

The drama began on the 9th. Picture the scene: Mr. Stewart, having already visited the front bunker, somehow managed to deposit his third shot into the rear bunker. Yes, there is a bunker lurking behind the 9th green, and yes, his ball was plugged so deep it was practically auditioning for a role in a geological survey. With the speed of a striking cobra, Mr. Collier exclaimed, ‘Cometh the hour, cometh the man!’ Inspired by this pronouncement, Mr. Stewart conjured a shot of near-mythical proportions, not only escaping the sand trap but landing a mere 9ft from the flag. Sinking the putt, he modestly declared, ‘Lucky I’ve just had a bunker lesson from Callum.’ Mr. Collier, visibly awestruck, was clearly contemplating a similar pilgrimage to the sandy oracle.

Fast forward to the 15th, and Mr. Stewart once again found himself in a bunker, this time the right one off the tee. Emboldened by his earlier escape, Mr. Stewart unleashed seven mighty blows, each one sending sand and frustration skyward, ultimately resulting in a strategic retreat backwards. His next shot, perhaps seeking solidarity, landed in the bunker on the left, requiring a further two attempts to reach the green. As his 14th shot finally trickled into the hole, Mr. Collier, stroking a beard that had aged visibly in the last hour, muttered, ‘I was clean shaven at the start of this hole!’

As I diligently documented this display of bunker mastery, Mr. Kevin Dickson could be seen sporting a knowing smirk, no doubt thinking, “Tariq’s got a better story now; my 9 on the 3rd is safe.” Fear not, Sir, my lips are sealed… for now.

My brief reign atop both the Gross and Net Leaderboards was swiftly ended by Mr. Colin Campbell, who stormed in with a gross 75 to seize the Gross. However, my net 67 kept me clinging to the Net. Hot on my heels was Mr. Eric Lambert, posting a net 68 to claim second place and set his sights on the Super Senior prize. He waited with the patience of a seasoned predator to see how last year’s champion, Mr. Alan Black, would fare.

Then came the inevitable, the golfing force of nature known as Mr. Neil Lock. He seized the Gross Leaderboard with a 72, which included a bogey on the 6th after carving (and I’m sure he would describe it thus, since it cleared the road and landed in the trees!) his drive out of bounds but birdied the hole with his 2nd ball.

Mr. David Logie quickly matched Mr. Lock's gross 72 but was relegated to second place. As I mentally rehearsed my acceptance speech, thanking my family, my coach, my therapist, and the judge for my temporary release, I was unceremoniously dethroned from the Net Leaderboard by the sheer, unadulterated talent of past Captain Mr. Andy Lothian, who also posted a gross 72, resulting in a net 65! Having flown his new aerobatics plane back from London, Mr. Lothian was clearly fueled by adrenaline and a desire to conquer the Queen’s. His victory margin would have been even greater had he not double-bogeyed the 12th and 16th.

As everyone quenched their thirst with some light refreshments and Mr. Kevin Beattie bravely demolished some beef tacos, we awaited the final scores, hoping for a last-minute twist.

Young Al Cantlay made a valiant charge, nearly achieving an albatross on the 7th, matching the top 3’s gross 72, but ultimately finishing 4th on countback. Mr. Black’s attempt to retain his Super Senior title fell short by a mere 10 shots. Mr. Keith Stirling made a late surge, posting a net 69. A fine effort, Sir!

Remarkably, four players carded a gross 72 (Neil Lock, David Logie, Andy Lothian & Al Cantlay), while four broke 70 on the Net (Andy Lothian, Tariq ‘Taz’ Ali, Eric Lambert & Mr. Keith Stirling).

Today’s Champions:

Senior Trophy & Net Monthly Medal winner – Mr. Andy Lothian.

Super Senior prize – Mr. Eric Lambert

Gross Monthly Medal winner – Neil Lock

Congratulations to all the winners!

Next week is the Club Champhionship and Millenium Qualifiers. Entry is via the app!

Taz

Bit of a dreich start to the day.

Love how your waterproof matches the ‘member’ umbrella!

History: The Macfarlane Quaich first awarded in 2009. From the early 1980’s there had been included in the Fixture List a Seniors Medal. This prize was generally a voucher or small gift purchased annually by the Club but in 2009 a trophy was presented to the Club by Bob Macfarlane a past Captain of Dun Whinny. The trophy takes the form of a substantial sized Quaich and was previously a golf trophy for the Beazer Homes organisation for whom Bob was once the Chairman. The trophy was originally used for a Beazer Homes golf competition in 1997 and 1998 and carries an inscription to that effect. Bob was keen to make this presentation as this was the one event in the calendar for which there was no formal prize. The trophy is for the best net score from the medal tees of the Queens course and the winner has to be aged 55 years or older on the date of the competition